


The Best View

by NellyHarrison



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternative Universe - No Arrow, Alternative Universe - No Island, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Smut, Tommy Merlyn is Alive, playboy oliver
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-21
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-22 12:05:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6078666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NellyHarrison/pseuds/NellyHarrison
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After his sixth run-in with the cops within the months following his twenty-seventh birthday, playboy Oliver Queen's parents decide they have had enough.  Their punishment is simple enough: grow up or get cut off.  Oliver's certain his life is over, but when he meets Felicity Smoak, he sees an opportunity.  Perhaps if he can manage to win her over, he can get his parents off his back and return to his life of philandering and frivolity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Punishment

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! I know it's been a while since I've posted, but I've been incredibly busy with school and my writing muse hasn't been here. However, this idea popped into my head on Friday and I've already nearly written the whole thing. Depending on how much attention this gets, I might be willing to expedite the posting of the chapters, but that is completely up to you guys. Be sure to let me know what you think by leaving a review at the bottom. Enjoy!!

“ _Playboy and heir to the Queen fortune, Oliver Queen was arrested last night for public intoxication and disorderly conduct.  This is the sixth time that Queen has had a run-in with law enforcement since his twenty-seventh birthday a few months ago, leaving many in Starling City wondering: Will Oliver Queen ever grow up?_ ”  


Oliver rolled his eyes before turning off the television, muttering, “Not if I can help it.”

“That is a seriously heinous picture of you, Ollie.  Seriously.  You’d think they’d pick something from your GQ shoot last year instead,” his little sister Thea commented, pushing him out of the way so she could get to the coffee.  “Or at least use one that doesn’t make your hair look so gross.”

“That was the style back then, Speedy.  As I recall, you went through a twin braid phase that lasted an entire year, so I don’t think you have a leg to stand on,” he retorted, poking at her side before going to sit at the table.  “How long do you think it’ll take Mom and Dad to read me the riot act?”

“Oliver!” a loud shout came from somewhere on the upper floor of the Queen Mansion.

“About that long,” she replied, leaning down to kiss his cheek before heading out to avoid the parental tornado that was coming for her brother.

Oliver sighed and braced himself before looking up with a charming smile when his mother and father joined him in the living room.  “Good morning.”

“Actually, it’s not a good morning.  It’s a rather horrible morning because _my son_ is plastered all over every news station and paper, detailing what happened last night,” Moira nearly bellowed at him.  “Enough is enough, Oliver.  You are twenty-seven years old, and this won’t stand anymore.”

“Your mother is right,” Robert chimed in, his arms crossed over his chest.  “You are dragging this family’s name through the mud, and that stops today.”

“What’s my punishment this time?” Oliver asked, clearly disinterested as this was not the first time his parents had gotten mad at him for misbehaving.

Moira and Robert exchanged a look before facing him again.  “It’s actually very simple,” Moira started, smoothing her hands over her skirt.

“As of tomorrow, you will be working beside me at Queen Consolidated.”  Oliver groaned at that, only stopping when Robert glared at him.  “You will learn how the company is run.  You will be given responsibilities.  Eventually, you will take over the business when I decide to retire.”

“I’m not qualified to do that!” Oliver tried to argue, but was shot down.

“You will _become_ qualified.  You got your business degree, despite how long and how many schools it took to do so,” Moira reminded him.  “Besides, you don’t have a choice.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

“If you do anything further that paints the Queen family as anything but upstanding, hard-working people, you will be cut off,” Robert told him.

“That’s not fair!” Oliver shouted, standing from the table in outrage.

“Like _hell_ it’s not fair!” Robert shot right back.  “Queen Consolidated stock has taken a lot of hits because of your antics.   _That’s_ not fair.  Your mother has had to face gossip about you that circulates at her functions regularly.   _That’s_ not fair.  I’m giving you a future, Oliver.  A chance to actually make something of yourself.  If you choose not to take it, then you are more than welcome to blow your life away, just not with my money and not in this house.”

“You can’t be serious,” he tried to reason, shaking his head.  When he was met with silence, he looked between them almost pleadingly.  “Mom?”

“I’m sorry, Oliver,” she sighed.  “It’s time for you to grow up.”

With that, Robert and Moira left, going to get ready for their own days, leaving Oliver to stand alone in the kitchen, wondering how it was possible that his entire life had been flipped upside down in a matter of minutes.  He knew he had been bad lately, but threatening to cut him off?  It was unnecessarily cruel.  He knew one thing: he couldn’t live without his parents’ money.  He needed to convince him that he was growing up, that he was mature enough for them to trust him again.  That didn’t mean he couldn’t still have fun, but he needed to step back from his partying ways until their anger cooled down.  He could do that.  At least he hoped he could.

* * *

The next day, Oliver woke up to a blaring alarm that had clearly been set by either Raisa or his parents, as he would never set an alarm nor set one for 6 AM.  With a groan, he rolled out of bed and stumbled his way to the bathroom so he could get ready.  He had a feeling being late for his first day at Queen Consolidated was not the best way to work his way back into his parents’ good graces.  After showering and making sure he was cleanly shaven, he walked into his closet with just a towel wrapped around his waist.  It didn’t take him long to pick out the right suit, having a wide array due to past social events, and only a little longer to get dressed.  Once he was dressed and ready to go, he walked down to the main floor and into the kitchen where his family was sitting and eating breakfast.

“Good morning,” he greeted, immediately going over to the coffee machine and pouring himself a big cup.

“Good morning, Oliver.  Did you sleep well?” Moira asked before taking a bite of her grapefruit.

“Please spare me the small talk, mom.  I got seven hour less sleep than what I usually do,” he muttered, sipping at the black coffee in the hopes it would wake him up.  “But I’m up, as promised.  I think I’m going to head out early and go to that cafe near the office to get a cinnamon bun.  That might make me a little peppier.”

“Just be sure to be in my office by 8:30, Oliver,” Robert reminded him.

“I know dad.  I won’t be late,” he promised, pouring his coffee into a travel mug before heading towards the front door.  “See you at work!” he called out before walking out into the cool September morning and to his car.  He took a few more sips of his coffee before stowing the cup in the holder, turned on his Porsche, and drove off towards Queen Consolidated.  He decided to park in the company parking lot, surprised to see that there was already a spot reserved for him, then walked the few blocks towards the cafe.  When he got there, he was disappointed to see a line already formed, then glanced down at his watch to check his time.  He should be able to make it in time.

Slowly but surely, the line went down, and as he got closer, he noticed a beautiful blonde woman sitting at a table with a computer in front of her, her dainty, brightly painted fingers racing across the keyboard.  He put in his order once he reached the register, then checked the time once more before deciding he had enough time to do a bit of flirting before getting back to the office.

Walking towards the woman, he put on his most charming smile before pausing beside her.  “Is this seat open?” he asked, referring to the one across from her.

She didn’t answer right away, still typing, then stopped to look up at him.  Recognition then shock crossed over her expression before confusion settled in.  “There are plenty of open tables,” she pointed out.

He chuckled at that, looking around to see that there were, in fact, a lot of open tables around them.  “Yes, but this one has the best view.”

“View?” she muttered, looking at the wall that showed nothing.  She glanced back up at him, confusion still there before his smile and wink caught her up to what he meant.  A soft blush flushed her cheeks before she bowed her head and muttered a quiet, “Oh.”

“So?  Can I sit here?” he asked again.

“I, um, sure,” she nodded.  Her eyes returned to her screen, her fingers getting back to work as he sat down, pulling out his cinnamon bun and sipping at his latte.

“I know this is bad for me, but I needed a sugar rush,” he admitted, a small chuckle rumbling from his chest.  However, she was not paying attention, which caused his smile to falter.  “Do you eat here often?  I used to come here a lot with my dad as a kid, but it’s been a while.  At least now I can appreciate their lattes.”

She sighed softly before finally looking up at him.  “I’m really sorry.  I guess I should have warned you when you asked to sit down that I’m kind of busy with something.  And I’m not really interested.  No offense.”

His eyebrows raised at that.   _She_ wasn’t interested in _him_?  Did she not know who he was?  A part of him wanted to make a snide remark, but he was trying to behave.  Plus, if he did and this woman went to the press telling them about how rude he was, that wouldn’t help him with his parents.  Nodding, Oliver put his cinnamon bun back in the bag and stood from the chair.  “I’m sorry for bothering you.  I’ll let you get back to work.  It was nice chatting with you, for the short amount of time.  Have a good day,” he said instead, flashing a smile before walking back to Queen Consolidated.  For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, he was left wondering what on earth had just happened.

* * *

Oliver made it to his father’s office with just enough time to eat his cinnamon bun, finish his latte, and was his hands of the sticky icing from the cinnamon bun.  He was still trying to figure out what had happened with the blonde from the cafe.  Oliver Queen did not get rejected, and especially not by bespectacled women with magenta lipstick.  He didn’t have much time to dwell on it because his father soon arrived and the two of them went right to work.  The day went by dreadfully slow for Oliver, task after task making him want to bang his head against the nearest hard surface.  His lunch break was just as boring, spent with his father and some of the company’s executives who only talked shop the entire time.  By four, he was seriously reconsidering this whole arrangement.  Maybe he could live being cut off after all?

“Oliver, I need you to run an errand for me,” his father said from his desk.  “I would send my secretary, but you should really see other parts of the company.”  Oliver walked over and was handed a laptop.  “This is my travel laptop.  I used it on my trip to Central City last week and unfortunately spilled something on it on the flight home.  Bring it down to Felicity Smoak in IT.  She’s one of the best and should be able to retrieve everything on the hard drive and place it onto a new company laptop.”

“Sure thing dad,” he replied with a sigh, taking the laptop and making his way to the elevator.  IT was several floors below the executive offices, so it took him a while to get to the department.  Once he was there, he asked for Felicity Smoak and was directed to an office.  Walking inside, he knocked on the door before looking up and seeing _her_.  It was the woman from the cafe, magenta lips and all.  “Uh, Felicity Smoak?”

Chewing on a red pen, Felicity looked up, then quickly dropped the pen from her mouth as it opened in slight shock.  She slammed it closed before managing an awkward smile.  “Mr. Queen.  What can I help you with today?”

“Well first, you can not call me Mr. Queen.  That’s my father,” he corrected, smiling right back.

“Yes, but he’s not here.  And technically you’re a mister too.  I mean not technically.  Well, of course you are.  You’re a _man_ man.  And I mean that in a totally non-pervy or anti-feminist fashion.  For all I know, you could be very feminine.  I wouldn’t know.  Because I don’t know you.  Other than you being Mr. Queen.  Oliver Queen.  Who’s in my office and listening to me babble.  Which will stop in three… two… one,” she finished, pinching her lips together.

An amused smile flashed across his lips before he held out the laptop.  “My father had an unfortunate accident with his computer and was wondering if you could save whatever’s on it.  He said you were the best,” he added, glad to see it caused that cute blush from earlier to return.

“That was nice of him.  I wouldn’t say I’m the absolute best, but it’s nice that he thinks so highly of me,” she muttered, taking the laptop and plugging in a few cords.

“If my dad thinks you’re the best, you probably are,” he assured her.  “I’m honestly surprised that I ran into you here.  I feel like I should have known you worked here.  This might be my first day, but I’ve been at the office plenty of times.”

“We have met,” she muttered, still focusing on the computer and retrieving the information from it.

“I’m sorry?” he asked, his eyebrows raising.

She sighed softly and stopped working to look up at him.  “Three years ago.  I had just started working here.  I was working late because I had been given a huge assignment that was due the next day, and I went upstairs to bring the final documents to your father’s office.  Somehow you had gotten into the building and decided to pass out on the couch in his office.  I went to see if you were okay and you woke up long enough to throw up all over my favorite pair of panda flats,” she explained, awkwardly smiling before facing her computer again.  “Considering how intoxicated you must have been that night, I’m not surprised you don’t remember.”

Oliver was shocked.  He had no recollection of any of that.  He remembered hearing about some story of him going into Queen Consolidated years ago, but that night had been a blur.  “Felicity…  I’m- I’m sorry,” he stammered, shaking his head in slight disgust of himself.  “I know it’s three years late, but I am truly sorry for that.”

She waved him off, still smiling softly but tightly as she got back to work, pulling out another laptop.  “It was a long time ago.  I managed to find another pair of those flats online.  They were a little more expensive, but worth it.  Your father was kind enough to offer to pay for a new pair, but I assured him I was fine.  He did send me a bottle of red wine.  That was a nice treat.  I love red wine,” she admitted.  Within moments, she was lifting a new laptop.  “Tell your father that all of his data has been transferred to that laptop.  I’ll have the old one wiped clean and sent out to be recycled for parts.  And be sure to tell him to be more careful with this one,” she added, smiling a bit more genuinely.  “I hope the rest of your first day goes well, Oliver.”

He took that sign clearly, nodding slowly before turning and walking out of her office, still in shock.  No wonder she hadn’t been interested in him that morning.  Not only had he practically violated her, he didn’t remember any of it.  Or her.  How could he have forgotten her?  Felicity was incredibly spunky, but also genuine.  Something about her intrigued him, and he decided that one way he could make up for his past screw ups was to win her over.  Maybe if he won her over, winning his parents over wouldn’t be so hard.


	2. The Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his sixth run-in with the cops within the months following his twenty-seventh birthday, playboy Oliver Queen's parents decide they have had enough. Their punishment is simple enough: grow up or get cut off. Oliver's certain his life is over, but when he meets Felicity Smoak, he sees an opportunity. Perhaps if he can manage to win her over, he can get his parents off his back and return to his life of philandering and frivolity.
> 
> * * *
> 
> Oliver decides to try to win Felicity over and become friends with her, but when they do, they're faced with a challenge they never anticipated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys absolutely blew me away with your reviews. Like I promised, since you were awesome and encouraged me, here is the next chapter. Be sure to let me know what you think in the reviews below and if I feel like enough people are interested, I'll post the next chapter. Enjoy!

“So you’re telling me that not only did you already meet this chick, you _puked_ on her?” Tommy asked as they sat in Big Belly Burger, waiting for their food.  “Oh man, you’re a dick.”  


“Don’t have to tell me,” Oliver grumbled, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck.  “I knew we did some shitty things in the past, and while this is no peeing on a cop, the look on her face when she realized I didn’t remember sucked.  I’m not used to seeing disappointment on anyone other than my parents.”

“Why do you really care, Ollie?  She’s just some IT girl,” Tommy pointed out, furrowing his eyebrows.

“She’s not, though,” Oliver stated, shaking his head.  “She managed to fix my dad’s laptop issue in minutes, so clearly she’s smart.  She wasn’t afraid to call me out on my shit, which is refreshing.  And she does this cute rambling thing.  She’s different, Tommy.”

“Different?” Tommy repeated, giving him a look before smirking when the realization hit him.  “You’re into her, aren’t you?”

“Oh come on.  It’s not like that,” Oliver brushed off, shaking his head.  Their food arrived then, and Oliver thanked the waitress before taking a big bite of his burger.

“It’s not a big deal, man.  Ever since everything happened between you, Laurel, and Sara, you’ve been in a weird slump.  Have you even gotten laid since your birthday?” Tommy asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Oliver gave him a look as he finished his bite, then took a sip of his soda before answering.  “I’ve gotten laid.  I just don’t go advertising it like you do.”

“Hey, come on.  I haven’t advertised anything since Laurel and I got together and you know it,” Tommy argued, reaching over to steal one of Oliver’s fries, causing both of them to laugh.  “I’m just saying, it makes sense that you’d see this Felicity girl as a challenge.”

“I’m not trying to get with her, Tommy,” Oliver told him again.  “I just thought that maybe if I could get her to forgive me and like me, convincing my parents to do the same would be a piece of cake.  Then I can go back to my normal life without worrying about being cut off.”

“So you want to get her to like you _without_ trying to sleep with her?” Tommy asked for clarification.

“Exactly.  We’ll become friends.  That’s it,” Oliver nodded.  “Men and women can be friends without sex getting involved, right?  I mean, theoretically it should work.”

Tommy chuckled at that, his head nodding as he muttered, “Sure, man.  Whatever you say.”

Oliver shook his head at that, and they went back to eating their food and talking about other, more normal things.

* * *

“Knock knock,” Felicity heard, causing her to pause her typing and look up to see Oliver standing in her doorway.

“Hi..?” she replied, smiling confusedly as he walked into her office with his hands behind his back.  “Can I help you with something?”

“Not this time,” he replied, bringing his hands forward so she could see the tray with a coffee cup and pastry bag in one hand and a wine bottle bag in the other.  “I went back to the cafe and asked the barista what you normally get, and so I got your coffee how you like it as well as a raspberry danish.  I made sure not to get anything with nuts because according to that barista, you’re allergic,” he detailed, placing the tray on her desk.  “And the last time we talked, you said that you liked red wine.  I went into the wine cellar and found a bottle of Lafite Rothschild 1982 that I know you’re going to love.”

Felicity was absolutely shocked by this generosity.  She had no idea where this had come from.  The last time they had talked, she had told him about the first and last time they’d met, which was not a pleasant one.  She had been really blunt with him, and considering his reputation, she had half-expected him to tell his father and get her fired.  Yet somehow, here he was.  In her office.  Bringing her gifts.

“I don’t understand…” she muttered, reaching for the coffee and opening the lid to see that it was in fact exactly how she liked her coffee.  “Why would you go to all of this effort?  And a Lafite Rothschild 1982?  That bottle of wine costs more than I make in a month,” she pointed out, shaking her head in disbelief.  “Is this some kind of a joke?  Or a game for the idle rich?  ‘Date a girl that is several social classes below you and win a car’?”

His eyebrows shot up at that, and Felicity questioned if she’d crossed a line, but then he handed over the wine and sat in the chair in front of her.  “I can understand your confusion.  You see me as the guy that puked on your shoes and forgot all about it.  And maybe a part of me is still that guy, but my parents want me to change.  I thought the best way to start that change is by making things right with a kind, smart woman that I was a complete ass to years ago.  That’s what I’m doing.  It’s not a game, I promise.”

She looked at him, trying to see some sign of a lie, but she didn’t find any.  “So you’re really bringing me coffee and an expensive bottle of wine out of the goodness of your heart without any ulterior motives?”

“Exactly.  Ideally, I’d like to become your friend, because I think you’d be a good friend to have.  You’re not afraid to tell me when I’m being an ass, which I can certainly be at times.  I need someone like you to remind me that I can be better,” he explained.  “And I _can_ be better.”

A small smile brushed her lips at that, her head bowing momentarily before looking back up at him.  “I’m sure you can be better.  And you’re right, I’m not afraid to be blunt at times, especially when someone deserves it.  Are you sure that you want to be my friend?”

“I’m positive,” he chuckled, cocking his head to the side as he smiled at her.  “Are you sure that _you_ want to be _my_ friend?”

She laughed at that, then sipped at her coffee as she paused to think about it.  “I think I can handle that.  My only question is how would being your friend work, exactly?”

“Well for one, I could regularly bring you coffee like I did today,” he started.  “Then we could have lunch every once in awhile, or potentially weekly or daily, if you’re interested.  I could bring it down here, or we could go out and get something during our break.  And we could always meet out of the office.  I don’t exactly have a lot of experience having a woman for a friend.”

“If it helps, I’ve never been friends with a billionaire,” she admitted, flashing a smile and making him laugh.  “That sounds like a good deal.  I think this could work out.  But you have to promise me something.”

“Anything,” he nodded, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees as he waited.

“The next time you bring me coffee, you have to bring me a blueberry scone.  The raspberry danish is good, but it’s way too flaky and will get all over my desk and in my keyboard,” she explained, laughing softly.

“Deal,” he nodded, then stood from the chair.  “How about we start by getting lunch tomorrow?  Do you like sushi?  I can bring some down here or we could meet in my office.  Totally your call.”

“Sushi sounds great.  And let’s meet down here.  The only time I ever go up to the executive offices is when I absolutely have to,” she admitted.

“Alright.  Sushi for lunch tomorrow down here.  I’ll see you then, Felicity,” Oliver smiled, tapping the back of the chair he had been sitting in before heading out and back up to his office.

* * *

“Can you hand me the sake maki?” Oliver asked, sipping his water before taking the tray she held out to him.  They had been having lunch together now for a over a month and had settled into an easy rhythm.  There was a schedule to their lunches, and it just so happened to be sushi day.  “Thanks.  So tell me again what’s wrong with your supervisor?”

Felicity groaned and scrunched her nose.  “It’s more like what _isn’t_ wrong with him.  He hands off all of his projects to other people, usually me, and then he takes the credit for it.  Most days, his office door is closed for hours and one time I opened it because I had to ask him something, and he was taking a nap.  A _nap_!  This guy makes almost twice as much as I make and he’s spending company time sleeping at his desk.  It’s garbage.”

“You’re right.  That is complete garbage,” Oliver agreed, taking another bite of sushi.  “It sounds like you’d do a much better job in that position.  Maybe I should talk to my dad.”

“No!” she exclaimed, shaking her head and waving her hands.  “No no no, you can’t do that.  It’s bad enough that people have been spreading all kinds of rumors about me.”

“Wait what?  What kind of rumors?” he asked, raising his eyebrows when she couldn’t meet his eye.  “ _Felicity_.  What kind of rumors?”

She sighed and looked over at him.  “It’s nothing, Oliver.  Seriously, it’s just stupid office gossip.  You’ve been spending a lot of time down here and it’s not like our friendship is considered normal.  When the CEO’s son starts spending time with a frumpy IT girl, it’s not that hard to guess that something more than just friendship is going on between them.”

“First of all, you are _not_ frumpy,” he stated.  He couldn’t understand how she couldn’t see how beautiful she was.  He would spend every day reminding her if he hadn’t promise to just remain friends with her.  “And second, they have no right to say those things about you.  You’re not some office slut.  If anything, you’re too smart to fall for my charm.  They should know that nothing like that is going on between us.  Give me names.  I’ll make sure they stop.  I’m pretty sure there’s some sort of rule against slander like that.”

“Oliver, please just let it go.  I can handle it,” she assured him, taking the sushi back from him and popping one into her mouth.  “It’s not the first time that people have assumed something like that of me.  I’m the youngest woman ever hired to QC.  That sort of accomplishment doesn’t come without prejudice.”

Oliver couldn’t believe this, and he certainly wouldn’t accept it.  Felicity was a remarkable woman, and he couldn’t just stand by and watch as people spread lies about her.  He needed to do something, and from Felicity’s reaction, he needed to do it discretely.  He could do discrete.

* * *

“What the _hell_ is wrong with you?”

Oliver’s head shot up from the work he was doing as Felicity stormed into his office.  “Felicity…”

“No!  Don’t ‘Felicity’ me!  I told you to let it go.  I told you I could handle it and not to do anything.  Why couldn’t you just listen to me?” she asked, tossing a magazine onto his desk before crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him.

He picked up the magazine and read the headline aloud, “‘ _Oliver Queen Has Torrid Office Affair: Who Is Felicity Smoak?_ ’  ...Crap.”

“‘Crap’ is right,” she shot back.  “My mother was thrilled when she saw the headline and called me to tell me she’d never been so proud of me.  Even when I assured her that nothing was going on between us, she wouldn’t believe me.  Oliver, how could you?”

He stood up and walked around his desk to stand in front of her.  “I’m sorry that you’re angry, but I couldn’t do nothing.  I found out who had been talking about you, and I made sure that they were reprimanded.  You’re lucky I didn’t have them fired,” he stated, reaching down to unfold her arms and placing his hands on her shoulders.  “You deserve better than being talked about like that.  I didn’t want people to think that you’re just another woman I’m sleeping with.  You’re my friend, one of my best friends.  I stand up for my friends.”

She pushed his hands off of her and took a step back.  “Look how that turned out!” she exclaimed, waving a hand towards the magazine on his desk.  “I’m on a magazine cover, with an entire article detailing an affair I’m not even a part of!  I haven’t had sex in months and everyone thinks I’m a slut!” she admitted, then blushed when she realized what she’d said.  “You doing what you did only made people talk more.  I can’t even go in the break room without everyone going silent.  You know why they do that?  Because they were just talking about me.  Everyone talks about me now, Oliver.  I asked you to let it go because I knew this would happen if you didn’t.  The rumors would have died down eventually, but now they’ll never go away.”  She shook her head and sighed in frustration.  “You humiliated me.”

“Felicity, I’m sorry.  I thought I was doing the right thing,” he told her.  “What can I do to fix this?”

“I don’t think you can…” she shrugged, bowing her head before looking back up at him.  “I think we should stop hanging out for a little while.  At least until this cools down.”

“What if it never cools down?” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

“I don’t know.  I’m sorry, I need to go,” she finished, turning and walking out of his office.

Oliver stood there, watching her leave and letting his head bowing when she was out of sight.  A few moments later, he heard a knock on the door frame, causing his head to rise again.

“Everything okay?” Robert asked as he walked inside, closing the office door behind him.

“I messed up dad, and I’m not sure how to fix it,” Oliver replied, walking over to sit in his desk chair, his head falling into his hands as he groaned.

“This is about Felicity.  I saw the magazine article,” Robert replied, sitting in the seat in front of the desk.  “Are you two..?”

“No, dad, I’m not sleeping with her,” Oliver snapped before growling in frustration.  “For the first time in history, I’m not actually sleeping with a woman that the press has connected me with.  I tried to protect her.  I tried to make the rumors stop and instead an article was written about her making her seem like something she’s not.  She doesn’t deserve this.”

“You really care about her,” Robert mused, a small grin playing on his lips.

“She’s a great person.  She deserves better,” Oliver stated, shrugging a shoulder.

“Then give her better,” Robert replied.  When he was met with a confused expression from his son, he leaned forward in his chair.  “Felicity _is_ a wonderful person, but she’s normal.  She’s not used to all of the attention that you and I have grown so accustomed to.  You’ve been hiding her in her office, and that sort of secrecy is what made people talk in the first place.  You need to bring her fully into the limelight so people can see what you two really are.  Leave nothing to interpretation.”

“So your suggestion for keeping Felicity protected is exposing her completely to the press’s critique?” Oliver asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It seems backwards, but if people see your friendship wholly without any secrets, then they won’t try to twist it into something it’s not,” Robert spoke plainly, then stood up to make his way towards the door.  “Just think about it.”

Oliver nodded, sitting back in his chair as his father left.  He knew that he had a point, that the more open he and Felicity were about their friendship, the less likely everyone would be to try to see it as something different.  Besides, Oliver didn’t want people to think that he was trying to hide something with Felicity.  He wasn’t ashamed of being her friend, and maybe keeping their relationship in her office made it seem like he was.  His dad was right.  Oliver needed to bring his friendship with Felicity into the spotlight.  Maybe then everything would go back to their version of normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? I hope you guys liked it. Be sure to let me know below. Thanks for reading!!


	3. The Unthinkable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his sixth run-in with the cops within the months following his twenty-seventh birthday, playboy Oliver Queen's parents decide they have had enough. Their punishment is simple enough: grow up or get cut off. Oliver's certain his life is over, but when he meets Felicity Smoak, he sees an opportunity. Perhaps if he can manage to win her over, he can get his parents off his back and return to his life of philandering and frivolity.
> 
> * * *
> 
> The plan was to spend a night at Verdant to prove to the press that they were just friends. However, even the best plans can fail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are absolutely blowing me away with your reviews. As promised, because you were all so great, here is another chapter. This is probably one of my favorite chapters and is really important to the rest of the story. Enjoy!

“Oliver, I really don’t think this is a good idea,” Felicity said for the fifth time since he picked her up.  He had spoken to her about his conversation with his father and decided that going out for a night on the town, _as friends_ , was just what was needed to fix all of this.  Plus, Tommy had agreed to bring Laurel and call a few more of their mutual friends.  That way it didn’t look like a double date.  It took a little convincing to get Felicity to agree to come, but once she had, it seemed like everything was going to work out perfectly.

“Felicity, it’s going to be fine.  We talked about this,” he reminded her, reaching over to squeeze her hand.  “Once all of this is out and in the open, everything will go back to normal.”

“I can understand wanting to remove the secrecy from our friendship, but do you really think that going to Verdant is the best idea?” she asked.  “I haven’t been to a club in a long time and despite this dress that you bought me - which is gorgeous, by the way - I really don’t think this is going to work.  You know me better than anyone.  Do you really think I’m going to fit in with your other friends?”

“I’m not asking you to fit in with my other friends.  I just want you to be yourself.  I want you to be Felicity,” he told her.  “Everyone’s going to love you, the press will get the truth, and everything will be fine.  Plus, we’ll be out of the office, having fun.  We said we would hang out outside of the office sometime anyways, remember?  What’s a better time than now?”

“Okay but just promise me you won’t let me get too drunk.  The press is clearly going to be watching us, and I’d really rather not have a picture of me sprawled out from tripping on these heels plastered all over the internet.  And believe me when I say that if I do get drunk, that is a huge possibility,” she stated, biting the inside of her cheek nervously.  “Luckily I’ve learned how to properly get out of a car so there won’t be any of those inappropriate shots.  I still don’t know why people would try to get those shots since they’re so pervy.”

Oliver chuckled at that, liking seeing her loosening up a bit.  “They are pervy, but considering how much my mom had to pay to keep a nude shot of me from being published, they earn a pretty penny.”

“Nude shot?” she asked, looking over at him with a curious smile before laughing.  “I don’t think I want to know.”

“No you don’t,” he assured her, then pulled onto the street for Verdant.  “Are you ready?”

She sighed, letting go of all of her nerves and nodding.  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

They pulled up in front of the club and Oliver got out first, walking around to the passenger’s side.  He opened the door and held out a hand for her to take.  She took his hand and slid out of the car gracefully, then let him lead her through the flashing camera lights and people shouting questions.

“Oliver, is this Felicity Smoak?” one reporter asked, a few others asking similar questions.

Oliver kept his hand on her lower back as they stood in front of the flashing cameras.  “Yes, this is my good friend Felicity Smoak.  After the rumors that came out about us, we thought it was best to stop hiding our friendship.  As much as I admire Miss Smoak, she is only a friend.  So to all of the single guys out there, she’s available,” he added, causing Felicity to smack his arm playfully as the reporters laughed and took more photos.

“Felicity, what’s it like to be friends with a billionaire?” a reporter called out.

Felicity looked up at Oliver in question, then turned towards the paparazzi when he nodded for her to talk.  “To me, Oliver isn’t some billionaire.  Sure, I know that he has money, but that’s not all that he is.  He’s kind and smarter than most people think.  Plus, he’s severely loyal to the people he cares about.  I’m lucky to call him my friend.”  She smiled up at him, and he smiled back, rubbing her back comfortingly before turning back to the press.

“Thanks everyone.  Have a great night,” he said to them, then led Felicity into the club.  “That went really well, I think.”

“You think?  I’m surprised my mouth didn’t go off without my brain’s approval,” she muttered, letting out a sigh as her eyes closed, trying to regain her composure.  She looked up at him and managed a smile before reaching up to smack his arm again.  “And next time, please don’t try to pimp me out to all of Starling City.”

“Hey, I was just trying to sell the fact that we’re not together.  Who you date is none of my business,” he assured her, chuckling as he led her further into the club.  They walked through the crowd until they reached the VIP section, which they were quickly let into.  “Felicity, I’d like you to meet my best friend, Tommy Merlyn, and his girlfriend/my childhood friend Laurel Lance.  Guys, this is Felicity Smoak,” he introduced once they made it to the couple.

“Felicity, it’s a pleasure to meet you.  Oliver’s told me so much about you,” Tommy greeted, holding out his hand and shaking Felicity’s.

“Really?  I haven’t heard anything,” Laurel snarked.  When she was met by a disappointed look from both Tommy and Oliver, she quickly smiled and held out her hand.  “Kidding.  It’s nice to meet you Felicia.”

“It’s Felicity,” she corrected, shaking Laurel’s hand.  “It’s really nice to put a face to the names in the stories that Oliver’s told about you all.  Trust me, they were all good stories.”

“That’s a relief, since there are plenty of not-so-good stories he could have shared,” Tommy joked, causing them all to laugh.  “Let’s go get you a drink.  Ollie, the usual?”

“Yeah, thanks man,” he nodded, watching as Felicity and Tommy walked over to the bar.  He turned towards Laurel who had already sat down with her glass of wine.  “Why did you do that?”

“Do what?” she asked, looking up at him, feigning innocence as he sat down beside her.

“Don’t do this, Laurel.  Felicity’s a great friend, and you and I have been over for a while.  This jealousy act is old and unnecessary,” he remarked, putting his arm along the back of the booth.  “Plus, you’re with Tommy.”

“I don’t trust her, Ollie.  What do you even know about this girl?” she asked, turning towards him and looking at him curiously.

“I know enough.  I trust her, my father trusts her, that’s enough for me.  I’ve spent a lot of time with her.  If there was something about her that she was hiding, I would have figured it out by now,” he argued.  “She’s not out for something.  Besides, I’m the one that seeked her out.  I’m the one that wanted to be her friend.  And I don’t regret that decision.  Felicity is a good person to have in your corner, and if you give her a chance, you’ll see that too.”

“Not too sure I want to give the woman that’s burrowed her way into your life a chance.  I still don’t trust her,” she decided, sipping her wine as Tommy and Felicity returned.

“Ollie, you didn’t tell me how funny Felicity was.  Oh and I hope it’s okay, but I’m totally going to borrow her to go see the Avengers,” Tommy told him, handing his drink before slipping into the booth beside Laurel and pulling her close.

“We could always make it a group thing,” Oliver replied, sliding in a bit more so Felicity could sit beside him.  “I wouldn’t mind seeing that.”

“What about you Laurel?  Are you interested?” Felicity asked, smiling over at the woman.

“Well I can’t let you guys go without me,” Laurel replied, smiling right back, but with a bit of coolness to the smile.  “Tommy, let’s go dance.”

“Sure baby,” he replied, nodding at Felicity and Oliver before leading his girlfriend onto the dance floor.

“So?  How am I doing?” Felicity asked, turning towards Oliver before sipping her cocktail.

“As expected, you’re going great,” he assured her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder in a half-hug.  “Tommy seems to really like you.”

“He’s a great guy.  I’m not surprised that you guys have been friends for so long.  Do you really think he wants to go see the Avengers, because that would be amazing.  I’ve been so looking forward to seeing that movie,” she admitted, flashing a bright smile.

“You know, we could probably get access to see it sooner, and Tommy has a home theater we could watch it in,” he pointed out.

“Are you telling me that I can watch the Avengers, away from the crazy theaters, earlier than the public?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Yes, that’s what I’m saying.”

“I think I can officially say that you’re forgiven for all of this drama,” she decided, causing him to chuckle.  “You were forgiven anyways, but this is definitely an awesome perk.  Thanks, Oliver.”

“Hey, what are friends for?” he replied, rubbing her upper arm.  Before he could say anything else, a guy came over to them and asked Felicity if she wanted to dance.  She stammered for a few moments, unsure of what to do.  “Go.  Have fun,” he insisted, nodding at the guy before watching her go off to dance with him.  Oliver sat there, watching silently and wondering what the weird feeling that was creeping up on him was.  Could he be… _jealous_?

No, no that wasn’t possible.  Felicity was just his friend.  She was kind and he put up with his crap, plus she was beautiful and adorable and _oh crap_.  He was jealous.  This was a problem.  He wasn’t supposed to be jealous of his friend dancing with some guy.  Felicity was supposed to be a stepping stone on getting his life back to normal.  Normal meant sleeping around with other women and not being wrapped up with a quirky, intelligent blonde that had somehow found a way into his heart.  He needed to get a wrap on this.  Slipping out of the booth, he went over to find the hottest girl in the club and try to get over his “friend”.

Unfortunately, about an hour into flirting with the woman he had met, his attention was captured by Felicity on the dance floor.  She was just dancing with the guy that had asked, but the guy’s hands were moving on her body in a way that was clearly making her uncomfortable.  His lips moved to her neck, and she pushed him away, stepping back to look up at him and say something.  She was very obviously upset, but somehow the guy misread it as a sign to lean in and kiss her.  Enough was enough.  Without explanation, Oliver walked away from the woman he had been flirting with and pulled the douchebag off of Felicity.  He was so angry, he threw a punch without hesitation.

“Oliver!” Felicity gasped, pulling on his arm before he threw another swing.

“Are you okay?” he asked, ignoring the ruckus that was going on around them as he cupped her cheek, making her focus on him.

“I- I-,” she stammered.  “Yes, I’m fine,” she assured him, pinching her lips together.  “You shouldn’t have done that.”

“He forced himself on you,” he stated, clenching his jaw.  “He was touching you, and you clearly didn’t want it.”

“You were watching us?” she questioned, her eyebrows raised as she looked up at him.

“I was watching out for you,” he shrugged.  Before she could question him, security came over and asked Oliver what had happened.  He quickly explained, then pulled Felicity close to him as the douche that had kissed her was dragged out of the club.  Once he was gone, Oliver returned his attention to Felicity, his hands holding his arms as he looked down at her.  “I shouldn’t have brought you here.  The guys here can be total assholes and I should have warned you.”

“I wanted to come,” she replied, her stomach twisting over something she couldn’t quite comprehend.  “I wanted to meet your friends and I…  I don’t know.  I’m okay though.  I think I just need to sit down for a bit.”

“I could take you home if you wanted,” he offered, rubbing her arms.

“No, no, it’s fine.  Besides, you were busy with that girl, weren’t you?” she asked, looking back at the bar where the woman Oliver had been talking to still stood.

His eyes moved over to the woman, unable to even remember her name, then returned his attention to Felicity.  “Wait, were you watching me?”

Her head bowed at that, a slight blush flooding her cheeks.  “I might have noticed,” she muttered, then shook her head before pulling away to walk over to the booth they had been sitting in earlier.

Oliver quickly followed her, sitting beside her and waiting for her to properly look at him.  “Felicity, what’s going on?”

She sighed and shrugged her shoulders.  “I don’t know.  We came here to assure everyone we were friends, didn’t we?”

“Yeah, of course we did,” he nodded.  “But is that what’s really going on?”

“What else would be going on?” she asked, looking up at him with her big blue eyes.

The spark in her eyes stole Oliver’s breath away, his hand reaching up to gently cup her cheek.  Her eyes fell closed for a moment as she leaned into his touch, her breathing growing heavy before she opened her eyes to meet his.  The blue in her irises had darkened ever so slightly, which was the push Oliver needed to lean forward and graze his lips over hers.  They hovered like that for a few moments, the two breathing each other in before Felicity surged forward to seal their lips in a deep kiss.  The hand that had been on her cheek slid into her hair, his other hand wrapping around her waist to pull her close as his lips opened, his tongue pressing against her lips sensually until her mouth opened as well.  His tongue brushed against hers, causing her to moan softly against his lips, which had him gripping the fabric of her dress.

Oliver pulled away with a gasp, his eyes remaining closed before opening to see hers still closed.  “Felicity,” he breathed, her eyes opening as she panted quietly.

“I-I need to go,” she blurted out, quickly pulling away and managing to rush her way out of the VIP lounge before Oliver could even register what was happening.

“Felicity!” he called out, chasing after her.  Tommy shouted his name, wondering where he was going, but he was too busy running after Felicity.  For someone so short, she ran impossibly fast.  By the time he got outside, all he saw was her climbing into a cab that peeled away from the curb.  He slid his hand over his head in frustration and groaned before returning to the club.  He was only there long enough to tell Tommy what had happened and say goodbye.  He needed to talk to Felicity, before she had enough time to get too inside of her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoop there it is haha. I hope you liked it. Be sure to tell me what you think in the reviews below. Thanks for reading!


	4. The Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his sixth run-in with the cops within the months following his twenty-seventh birthday, playboy Oliver Queen's parents decide they have had enough. Their punishment is simple enough: grow up or get cut off. Oliver's certain his life is over, but when he meets Felicity Smoak, he sees an opportunity. Perhaps if he can manage to win her over, he can get his parents off his back and return to his life of philandering and frivolity.
> 
> * * *
> 
> Oliver goes to Felicity's house to face her about what happened at the club, and the two come to a realization about their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, this is the part of the story that makes this fic rated E. Smut is ahead, but there is also some really cute fluffy stuff at the end, so feel free to skip over the smut, but don't skip the entire chapter. Also, there's a little Easter egg of another ship from a totally different show. I couldn't resist haha. Again, you guys have been awesome with reviews which is why I'm posting. Keep it up and you'll get another chapter tomorrow. Enjoy!

Luckily Oliver had driven Felicity home a few times from work so he knew where she lived, and as he pulled up in front of her house, he saw a light on in her home and her petite little body pacing back in forth in what he assumed what her living room.  A small, fond smile brushed his lips before he shook his head, made his way to her front door, and rang the doorbell.

He heard a crash of some sort and was momentarily concerned before the door opened, revealing Felicity changed into a ratty t-shirt and flannel shorts, but with hair and makeup the same as it was from the club.

“Oliver?  What are you doing here?” she asked, then shook her head.  “Come in,” she insisted, holding the door open.

He walked inside, slipping his hands into his pants’ pockets and taking a deep breath as he looked around her home.  He couldn’t help but smile at how _Felicity_  everything looked.  “I like your place.”

“Thank you,” she replied, managing a small smile as she followed him into her living room.  “What are you doing here, Oliver?” she asked again.

He turned towards her, pinching his lips together momentarily before walking towards her.  “We kissed.  And while a big part of me thinks that we should just pretend it never happened so we can save our friendship, the larger part of me thinks that it happened for a reason.”

“You do?” she wondered, her eyes widening slightly.

“You’re amazing, Felicity,” he told her, shaking his head as he stepped closer and slid his hands from her shoulders down to hold her hands.  “I’ve known that since the moment I met you.  The _proper_ moment I met you,” he added, trying to ignore how disastrous the actual first time they met was.  “I wanted to be just friends with you.  I wanted to be able to keep what’s between us simply platonic, but the more I got to know you, the more I realized how wonderful you are.”  He paused, one hand cupping her cheek, his thumb brushing across the smooth porcelain skin.  “I’m falling for you.  I don’t think I can be just friends with you anymore.”

“Oliver…” she muttered, uncertainty clear in her tone.  “I don’t know what to say.”

“Just tell me how you feel,” he requested.  “If you don’t feel the same way, that’s fine.  I just want you to be happy.”

A soft smile brushed her lips at that, and she leaned up on her toes to kiss him softly.  “ _You_ make me happy, Oliver,” she assured him, letting out a content sigh as he rested his forehead against hers.  “I’m scared.”

“Scared of what?” he asked, continuing to brush his thumb along her cheek.

“Of what happens next,” she finished.  “I’m still in the company and you’re still way out of my league.  When people hear about what happened in the club and what’s going on between us, the rumors will come right back in full swing.  What if they ruin this?  Ruin us?”

“Felicity, nothing could ruin us.  Of that I’m sure,” he promised, nuzzling his nose against hers.  “Any other fears?”

“I’m afraid if you don’t kiss me right now, I might explode,” she admitted, causing him to chuckle and her to smile.  “Other than that… I’m in.”

“Yeah?  Are you sure?” he asked, wanting to make sure there wasn’t an inch of doubt before he went all in on this.

“Positive,” she nodded.

“Good,” he replied, then pulled her body against his as he kissed her, letting go of all reservations he had.  Her hands clung to his arms before wrapping around his shoulders as his hands slid to the back of her thighs and lifted her up.  Her legs locked around his waist before she was pressed against the nearest wall, a wanton gasp escaping her.  “Felicity,” he groaned, grinding his body against hers desperately.

“Bedroom,” she muttered against his lips.  “Down the hall.”

He pulled her from the wall and began carrying her towards the room, their lips moving together in earnest.  He pushed the door open with his foot and brought her all the way over to the bed, managing to kick off his shoes before laying her down and climbing on top of her.  Her hands moved from his shoulders down to start undoing the buttons of his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders before he gripped the hem of her t-shirt and started pushing it up her body.  She quickly lifted her arms and helped him remove it completely, leaving her in a black lace bra that contrasted against her pale skin in a way that had his mouth practically watering.

Oliver pulled away to admire her, his hand brushing up along her side before burying in her hair as he looked into her eyes.  “You’re beautiful,” he told her, leaning his forehead against hers before joining their lips again.  As he kissed her, his hands moved behind her back to unlatch her bra and pull it from her gently, leaving their bare torsos to move against each other in a way that had them both shivering.  His mouth began moving down to her jaw and nipped at her neck before continuing its descent to her collarbone, down between the valley of her breasts and even lower to her stomach.  He took his time kissing along her smooth stomach, then paused to lay soft kisses over both of her hip bones.  His eyes shot up to meet hers as his fingers slid under the sides of her shorts and panties and lowered them down her legs, kissing along the smooth limbs slowly.  Once he reached her feet, he tossed the clothing away and began kissing up her legs again, being sure to pay special attention to the back of her knees when she let out a soft moan.

He gently pushed her legs apart, his nose nuzzling the upper inside of her thigh before his lips finally landed on her core, causing her back to arch off the bed.  “Oliver, please,” she begged, her hands gripping the sheets beside her.  With one tentative lick over her core, he had her gasping for more.  His tongue slid along the seam before delving inside, taking a few moments to twirl the tip of his tongue along her sensitive clit and sucking gently.  His thumb replaced his tongue as his mouth moved lower, the digit working the nub expertly as his tongue pressed inside of her.  Felicity was unraveling from his ministrations, but she needed more.  One of her hands reached down to lift his chin then moved to the back of his neck to pull him towards her.  He followed her lead and made his way back up her body to kiss her deeply, a soft moan escaping her when she tasted herself on his lips.

“Condom?” he asked between kisses while her hands began working on undoing his tented pants.

“Right bedside table,” she replied.  “Top drawer,” she added, pushing his pants and boxers down his legs.

He quickly kicked them off, then reached where she had directed and grabbed a condom.  He paused to kiss her deeply, then pulled away to look down at her.  “Are you sure?  We can wait,” he promised.  He knew this was fast and they had only just realized their feelings for each other.  If she wasn’t ready, he would understand.

She let out a breathy laugh before kissing him sweetly, her thumb brushing along the back of his ear before settling her hand on his cheek.  “I adore you for asking.  Yes, I’m sure,” she told him, nodding quickly.  “I couldn’t be more sure.”

A bright smile took over his lips, and he nodded before pecking her lips and ripping the wrapper with his teeth.  He reached down to slip the condom onto his cock, then brushed the head along her drenched core.  Felicity’s eyes fell closed, but when he paused and lifted her chin with his other hand, she opened them and looked up at him.  Their eyes remained locked, making the moment he slid inside of her that much more intense.  A sharp gasp escaped them both, and her hands clung to his back as her body adjusted to the welcomed intrusion.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” he muttered through gritted teeth, his lips crashing against hers as he began moving his hips in a slow, steady pace.  His hands moved down to her legs and pulled them to wrap around him, sending him deeper inside of her with each thrust.  She shivered when he hit that spot inside of her that had stars dancing behind her closed lids.

“Oliver, right there,” she moaned softly before pulling him in for another kiss, more keening moans and desperate gasps falling against his lips as he pressed against that spot over and over again.  Gripping her thighs, he rolled them over, leaving Felicity settled on top of him and her body falling fully onto his cock.  She cried out, her hands gripping his shoulders as her eyes squeezed shut in bliss.  His eyes, however, were open and watching the pleasure flash across her expression, a hand reaching up to grip her breast and gently pinch her nipple.  After a few moments, Felicity began undulating her hips, her chest heaving as she gave herself over to the feel of their bodies moving together so perfectly.

Oliver hands quickly settled on her hips, pressing up against her with every shift.  As much as he wanted to continue watching her, the pleasure became too much for him, and his eyes slammed shut.  One particular thrust had Felicity basically collapsing on top of him, her face burrowing into his neck as they both moved together to bring them closer and closer to the edge.

“Felicity,” he grunted, feeling himself slowly losing control.

“I know,” she whimpered, her thrusts down onto him growing faster as she felt her climax approaching.  It hit her all at once, her thrusts back faltering as her entire body quivered on top of him.  He wrapped his arms around her, his hips managing a few more thrusts to help her through it before he was following her, waves of pleasure washing over the two of them as they clung to each other.  When it finally passed over them, they were panting, Felicity’s body still twitching ever so slightly as she nuzzled his neck with her nose.

Once she felt like she could actually move, she lifted her body off of his and fell back onto the bed beside him.  He leaned over to kiss her cheek before climbing off of the bed to take care of the condom and clean himself off.  When he returned, he slid under the covers and eased her under them, pulling her close before kissing the crown of her head.

“So that happened,” she muttered, laughing softly with him as her hand splayed on his chest, her head resting on his shoulder with his arm around her.  “You’re good at that.  Well done,” she joked, causing them both to laugh again.

“Gee thanks,” he retorted, chuckling some more before leaning down to peck her lips.  “You’re good at that too.  Kind of has me wondering why we didn’t do that sooner.”

“We were trying to be friends,” she pointed out.  “We’re clearly really bad at being just friends.”

“The worst,” he added, eliciting a playful giggle from her that had his heart swelling.  “I’m pretty happy with how things turned out though.”

“Me too,” she replied, welcoming another soft kiss.  “As much as I would really love to just fall asleep right now, if I don’t get all of this makeup off and take a shower, I’m going to be gross tomorrow.”

“I really doubt you’d be ‘gross’, but go shower.  Besides, I think we could use a little nourishment,” he decided.

“Oliver Queen, are you going to cook for me?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.  “Because I didn’t think you knew how.”

“Hey now, Raisa taught me how to cook for this exact purpose,” he told her, pecking her lips before pushing her to go.  “Go.  Shower.  I’ll have something done by the time you get out.”

She nodded and walked into her bathroom, leaving Oliver to try to figure out something to cook with the limited supplies that Felicity had.  However, about twenty-or-so minutes later when Felicity surfaced from her room with her glasses on, her hair in a loose braid, and her pajamas back on, feeling refreshed and somehow slightly sore, Oliver was working with ease in the kitchen.  “Something smells good.”

“ _Pasta a la Raisa_ ,” he told her, still shirtless but wearing a pair of sweatpants he found in her closet.  “I hope you don’t mind.  I found these and they were the only thing that fit me.”

“It’s fine.  My cousin Stiles’s boyfriend left those when they came to visit a few months ago.  He’s about your size,” she told him, coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around him.

“Your cousin’s name is Stiles?” he asked, placing his hand over hers as it splayed on his stomach.

“Don’t ask,” she laughed softly.  She pulled away and went to sit on the counter as he finished the pasta, putting everything together before piling some in two bowls.

“Here you go,” he announced, placing a bowl in front of her before grabbing some forks and sitting beside her at the counter.

Felicity took a bite and raised her eyebrows at how good it tasted.  “Remind me to thank Raisa for teaching you how to make this when I finally meet her.  When _will_ I meet her?” she asked, turning towards him.

He took a few bites before shrugging a shoulder, facing her and pulling her chair close so her legs were between his.  “How about… we go over to my house tomorrow and have breakfast with my family?”

Her eyes opened in surprise at that.  “You want me to meet your family?”

“Felicity, we’ve been friends for long enough, and now that we’re an _us_ , I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t meet them,” he mused, placing his hands on her legs and caressing them sweetly.  “So breakfast tomorrow?”

A soft, happy smile brushed her lips before she nodded.  “Breakfast tomorrow sounds perfect.”

“Good,” Oliver replied, leaning down to peck her lips before they both returned to their pasta.  Once they were done, Oliver took the dishes and rinsed them off before putting them in the dishwasher and walking with Felicity to the bedroom.  They went to go brush their teeth, Felicity pulling out a new toothbrush from her medicine cabinet for him, and once they were done, they walked over to bed and climbed in together.  It was so incredibly domestic, and definitely new for Oliver, but it felt so right.  Laying with Felicity, hearing her breathing level out before she completely fell asleep, it was the happiest Oliver had ever been.  If this was what being a good guy and growing up was like, he could certainly get used to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Domestic Olicity gives me lifeeeeee. I hope you liked it haha. Be sure to review below. Thanks for reading!


	5. The Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his sixth run-in with the cops within the months following his twenty-seventh birthday, playboy Oliver Queen's parents decide they have had enough. Their punishment is simple enough: grow up or get cut off. Oliver's certain his life is over, but when he meets Felicity Smoak, he sees an opportunity. Perhaps if he can manage to win her over, he can get his parents off his back and return to his life of philandering and frivolity.
> 
> * * *
> 
> Felicity meets the rest of the Queen family, and then Oliver's secret comes to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone had asked if there was going to be angst in this story. The angst begins now. There are only a few chapters left, and if you guys keep reviewing the way you have, you'll be getting a chapter a day until they're all posted. I seriously love hearing what you have to say, so keep it up. Now, enjoy!

“You know, I think I should just stay home.  I can make breakfast here,” Felicity insisted even as she got dressed.  


Oliver chuckled and came up behind her, leaning down to kiss the side of her neck as he wrapped his arms around her.  “Felicity, stop being nervous.  You met my friends.  You’ve already met my father.  Meeting my mother and sister will be a piece of cake and breakfast will go great.  I promise.”

“You can’t know that for sure,” she pouted slightly, turning in his arms and looking up at him.  “What if your mother hates me?”

“Impossible.  You’re wonderful,” he pointed out, causing her to smile softly.  “Come on.  I’d rather not be wearing the same outfit as last night when we have breakfast.”

“Right, yes, that would look bad,” she nodded, pulling away to grab her purse and jacket before walking out with Oliver to his car.

Soon enough, they made it to the Queen Mansion, and by the time they had, Felicity was a bundle of nerves.  However, with a deep breath, she climbed out of the car, and the two of them walked up to and through the front door.  “How about you check out our library while I go get changed.  It’s down the hall, third door on the right,” Oliver told her, pecking her lips and pushing her in the right direction as he walked upstairs to get dressed.

Felicity managed to find the library and walked in, looking around in wonder.  There were so many books, a huge variety, and several of which were first edition.  She had just picked up a first edition of _The Original Legends of Robin Hood_ when there was a cough from the doorway.  Quickly turning, she found herself being looked over by a petite brunette.

“Who the hell are you?” the girl asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I’m, uh, I’m- I’m-,” she stuttered, unable to find the ability to say her own name.

“Speedy,” a familiar voice spoke.  Oliver quickly appeared and put an arm around his sister’s shoulders.  “Stop scaring Felicity.”

“And Felicity is..?”

“My girlfriend,” Oliver finished for her, letting her go to walk over and take Felicity’s hand.  He led her towards his sister as Felicity looked up at him with a slightly surprised smile.

“Since when do you have a girlfriend?” Thea asked, a small laugh to her tone as he looked Felicity over again.  “And one that actually looks normal.”

“...Thank you?” Felicity replied, unsure over whether that was actually a compliment or not.

“Sorry, that sounded bad.  I just meant that you’re not Ollie’s usual type.  He usually goes for vapid skanks.   _You_ do not look like a vapid skank,” Thea clarified, eliciting a laugh from Felicity and a grumpy frown from Oliver.

“First of all, I don’t have a type, and second, if I did, that’s the worst way to describe them,” Oliver insisted.  “But you’re right.  Felicity is very special to me and certainly different from what I usually go for.  I’m lucky that she was willing to settle for me.”

“There was no settling here,” Felicity assured him, leaning up to peck his lips.

“Alright, that’s adorable.  I officially love you two,” Thea declared, smiling happily at the couple.  “But I’m starving.  You guys might want to head out before Mom and Dad come down.”

“Actually, we’re here to have breakfast with Mom and Dad,” Oliver told his sister.  “Felicity’s already met Laurel and Tommy.  She met Dad through work.  Now she’s met you, so all that’s left is Mom.”

“You really want your awesome new girlfriend to meet Mom?” Thea asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Yes, Thea, I do,” Oliver nodded.  “The sooner Mom meets Felicity, the sooner we can properly start our relationship.”

“Yeah, besides, I have a feeling that the media is going to find out about Oliver punching that guy and our kiss in the club last night, which means our relationship is going to be out sooner than we’d like,” Felicity added, frowning slightly at the thought.  “It will probably be better if we tell your mother about it before she reads it somewhere else.”

“She really is smart, Ollie.  And totally out of your league,” Thea decided, flashing a smile before walking towards the kitchen.

Oliver turned towards Felicity and pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her.  “She’s right.  You are way out of my league.  What did I do to deserve you?”

“Stop that,” she insisted, splaying her hand over his heart as she looked up at him.  “All you had to do was be yourself.”

He smiled and leaned down to peck her lips.  “Ready for this?”

She nodded, smiling sweetly.  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”  She took his hand and let him lead her into the kitchen.  Moira and Robert Queen were already sitting at the table with Thea, waiting as Raisa cooked them breakfast.

“Oliver.  I didn’t know you were home,” Moira mused, then noticed the blonde beside him.  “And you have a guest?”

“Felicity Smoak,” Robert stated in slight surprise.  He stood from the table and walked over to greet her.  “It’s nice to see you away from the office.”

“Nice to see you too, Mr. Queen,” Felicity greeted.

“Please, call me Robert,” he insisted, then walked back over to the table.

“You work at Queen Consolidated?” Moira questioned, still remaining in her seat.

Oliver led the two of them over to the table and sat with his parents.  “Yes, Felicity works in IT.  We’ve been spending time together for a while now,” he told his mother.

“Aren’t you the woman that Oliver was on the cover of all of those magazines with a few weeks ago?” Moira asked, quirking a slightly judging eyebrow.

“I, um, yes that was me,” Felicity nodded.  “At the time, Oliver and I were just friends, but, uh, our situation has obviously changed.”

“Obviously,” the older woman replied.

“Moira, Felicity is the youngest member of the IT department at Queen Consolidated.  Many other companies tried to recruit her when she graduated from MIT, but we were lucky enough to get her,” Robert explained, causing Felicity to smile appreciatively.  “Not only is she hard-working, but she’s been incredibly loyal to the company since joining.  It was why I sent Oliver to her when he started at the company.  I thought she would be a good influence on him.”

“Wait, you sent me to Felicity for my own benefit?” Oliver asked.  “I thought you needed your laptop fixed.”

“I could have sent my secretary for that,” Robert waved off.

“Robert, do you really think it was appropriate to meddle in Oliver’s life like that?” Moira questioned.

“Look at him, Moira,” he replied, glancing over at his son, who was sitting with Felicity’s hand in his.  The couple turned to look at each other momentarily, small smiles brushing their lips as Robert continued.  “He’s growing up.  His work at Queen Consolidated has been impressive and astute.  Not to mention, there hasn’t been an incident with him that really defamed the company or our family since he met this young woman.”

“Actually, dad, my new spotless record might have been broken,” Oliver muttered, frowning slightly ashamed.  “I have a feeling that I’ll be on the front pages today for an incident at Verdant.”

“What kind of incident?” Moira asked.

“I punched someone,” he stated.

“Oliver!” she scolded.

“He did it for me,” Felicity quickly rushed out.

“Wait what?” Thea muttered, expressing everyone else’s confusion.

“Oliver and I went to Verdant to try to sell that we were friends, which we were at the beginning of the night,” she added, biting the inside of her cheek.  “A man came over and asked me to dance, and I agreed.  Unfortunately, after a while, he became very forward, and after he forced a kiss on me, Oliver pulled him off and punched him.  He was defending me.”

The table remained silent, everyone taking their time to let Felicity’s explanation set in.  Eventually, Thea broke the silence by saying, “Way to go big bro.”

Robert chuckled at that, Moira even cracking a smile.  “You mean you’re not mad?” Oliver asked.

“You defended a woman that you care about against a pig that felt entitled to her like she was an object instead of a person.  How could we ever possibly be upset with you over that?” Moira asked, then reached over to squeeze Felicity’s hand.  “I’m sorry that you had to go through that.  And if what Robert said is true, you’re clearly a good influence on Oliver.  It really is a pleasure to meet you, Felicity.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Mrs. Queen, and thank you,” Felicity replied.  “I’m lucky that Oliver was there to make sure I was okay.  And I’m lucky enough to have connected with him in a deeper way.  I really care about your son.”

“And I really care about her,” Oliver added, leaning down to kiss the side of her head.  “I know that I’ve been a trouble case in the past, but I’m really trying to turn over a new leaf.”

“We’re proud of you, Oliver,” Robert said, smiling over at him.  “Now, let’s eat.  Raisa?”

* * *

“Let me get this straight.  Not only did you and Felicity kiss in the club after you punched a guy out for her, you then followed her home, had sex with her, and then took her to meet your parents the next day for breakfast,” Tommy explained.  “Did I miss anything?”

“Nope, that sounds about right,” Oliver nodded.

“That’s the craziest way of getting together I have ever heard.  And now it’s been what?  A month?” Tommy asked.

“Best month of my life.  I’m falling for her, man.  Hard,” Oliver admitted, leaning back in the booth.  “The press mania has died down too.  After that article with the fight came out, we knew we had to have that press conference to reveal our relationship.  It was insane for a while, and Felicity definitely struggled with all of the attention, but now it seems like everything’s back to normal.  Well, not normal since we’re now regularly sleeping together, but more normal than it was a month ago.”

“That must be a nice perk,” Tommy chuckled.

“Oh you know it,” Oliver nodded, laughing with him.  “My parents have also never been happier.  It feels good not to feel like a total disappointment to them.”

“I guess Felicity was the key to winning them over.  You won her over, then won them over, and now you can go back to your normal life without worrying about being cut off,” Tommy pointed out.

“Yeah…  I guess you’re right.”  Except was that really what he wanted?  Sure, he started out talking to Felicity to try to learn how to make himself seem to be a better person, but as he got to know her more, he actually wanted to be a better person.  He wanted to be the kind of guy worthy of being on Felicity’s arm.  However, he didn’t really have much more time to think about it since someone stepped closer to their table.  When he looked up, he found a hurt Felicity looking down at him, and it was like the earth stopped spinning.

“Is that what this was about?  You used me to convince your parents you weren’t the same man just to keep them from cutting you off?” she asked.

Oliver stumbled over his words before Felicity turned away and began walking away.  “No, Felicity!” he called out, rushing from the seat and following her.  He caught up with her outside of Big Belly Burger and grabbed her arms to keep her from leaving.  “That isn’t what this is.  What you heard isn’t-”

“Save it!  I heard what you and Tommy were talking about,” she told him, pushing him away.  “You used me.  All I was to you was a stepping stone to keep yourself from being cut off.  I can’t believe you let me fall-”  She stopped herself, pinching her lips together as tears welled in her eyes.  Oliver’s heart was breaking as she spoke, his head shaking as he realized what she was going to say.  She had fallen in love with him, and in that moment he realized he loved her too.  “Looks like everything worked out.  And now you don’t have to worry about ending things with me.  We’re over.  Feel free to go back to sleeping with as many women as you want.”

“Felicity, I don’t want those other women.  I want _you_ ,” he insisted, wanting to reach for her but knowing she’d just push him away again.  “Please don’t do this.”

“It’s already done,” she lifted a shoulder, a tear rolling down her cheek.  “Goodbye, Oliver.”  She wiped away her tear and quickly walked away, leaving Oliver behind.  He didn’t want this.  He loved Felicity, and he couldn’t accept that this was the end.  He had been changing since meeting her, and his dad had figured something like this would happen when he sent him down to meet her.  She was the bright light in his otherwise dull life.  For the first time, he could actually picture a future with a woman he was dating, and he couldn’t let that go.  He needed to fight for her, and he would if that was what it took to keep her in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ouch :( Like most things, it has to get worse before it can get better, and I promise it does get much better. Be sure to let me know what you think in the reviews below. As always, thanks for reading! :D


	6. The Reconciliation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his sixth run-in with the cops within the months following his twenty-seventh birthday, playboy Oliver Queen's parents decide they have had enough. Their punishment is simple enough: grow up or get cut off. Oliver's certain his life is over, but when he meets Felicity Smoak, he sees an opportunity. Perhaps if he can manage to win her over, he can get his parents off his back and return to his life of philandering and frivolity.
> 
> * * *
> 
> Felicity and Oliver are both miserable after their break-up, but luckily Laurel and Tommy have a way to fix that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is quickly coming to an end, and these last two chapters are probably my favorite. I know that I brought the angst with the last chapter, but I promise this chapter and the epilogue will make up for it. Be sure to let me know what you think in the reviews, and if I get a good reaction, I'll post the last chapter soon. Enjoy!

Life had taken a very drastic, downhill turn for Felicity.  After learning the truth behind Oliver’s motives the week before, she had spent the time since working from home and trying to find a way to cope with her heartbreak.  She had fallen head-over-heels in love with him, and he had completely shattered her heart.  It had been a long time since she had felt this broken, and she wasn’t sure she could pull herself together again.  It was even harder with Oliver coming by every day during the week and trying to get her to talk to him.  Usually he stayed out on her stoop for an hour before giving up and going home, but it’s long enough to tear her down again.

It was Saturday, and instead of doing anything productive around her house like she usually did, she was curled up on her couch with a box of lo mein and a bottle of wine on the coffee table in front of her.  She was debating taking a nap when there was a knock on her door.  Instead of hearing Oliver’s pleas for her to open the door, she heard a different voice.

“Felicity, I know you’re in there.  Open the door,” Laurel demanded.  With a confused expression, Felicity climbed off of the couch and shuffled her way to the door, pulling it open before Laurel stormed her way inside.  Felicity hadn’t seen Laurel since the club, and that exchange hadn’t been necessarily pleasant, so she had no idea why the woman was in her house now.  Yet there she was, glancing around her living room and looking as pristine as ever.  “Nice place,” she nodded, then turned to face Felicity.  “Not so nice look you’re rocking there.”

“Laurel, what are you doing here, other than insulting me?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“You need to talk to Oliver,” the woman stated.

Felicity let out a dry laugh at both her bluntness and the demand.  “No, I really don’t.  And I don’t think you have any idea what you’re talking about.”

“He told me.  Tommy told me.  Hell, even Thea told me,” Laurel replied.

“Wait, Thea knew about Oliver’s motives?  But she seemed so nice when I met her,” Felicity muttered, frowning slightly.  Had everyone known about Oliver’s plan and just decided to keep her in the dark like some sick game?

“You don’t get it.  Oliver’s been miserable since you broke up with him,” Laurel told her.  Felicity was openly surprised by that, considering she assumed he would be off sleeping with other women, which should make him very un-miserable.  “They told me why you broke up, and I totally understand why you did it, but you don’t know the whole story.  That’s why you need to go talk to Oliver.”

“I don’t think I can, Laurel.  Whatever the story is, he still lied.  He started our relationship with ulterior motives.  How can I possibly move past that?” Felicity asked.

“Because you love him,” Laurel stated, laughing softly when Felicity looked up at her in shock.  “Oh please, like I couldn’t tell the first time I saw you two together.  That kiss you two shared was a shock to everyone _but_ me.  And, spoiler alert, he loves you too.”

“How do you know that?”

“I have known Oliver for most of our lives.  We dated for a lot of that time as well,” Laurel started to explain.  “And yet he has never looked at _anyone_ , including me, the way he looked at you.  If he doesn’t love you, then I don’t know what love is.”

Felicity sighed, her head falling forward as she tried to figure out what to do.  “What if loving him isn’t enough?  What if I still can’t get past what he did?”

Laurel shrugged, then walked back towards the front door, pulling a business card out of her purse and leaving it on the table.  “Then you’ll be missing out on one of the greatest men in this city, maybe even the entire country.  Give him a chance, Felicity.  If you don’t, I guarantee you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.  I’ll leave you to figure it out.  Call me when you do.  I hope you’ll give him a chance to at least explain himself.  I think you two could be really great together.”  With that, she left, leaving behind a confused Felicity who wasn’t sure what to do next.

Later that night, after Felicity had given it serious thought, she picked up the business card Laurel had left behind.  She was still unsure how Laurel Lance could possibly help this situation, but she dialed the phone and waited until Laurel answered.

“It took you long enough.  I was half-expecting you to call me right after I left,” the woman commented.

“Well I had a lot I needed to sort out first.  Like I said before, loving him means something, but I wasn’t sure it would be enough to forgive him,” Felicity explained.

“Is it enough?  Because I can’t help you unless I’m certain you want this,” Laurel stated.

“I’ve been hurt a lot in my life.  My dad left when I was young without any explanation, my last real boyfriend ended up killing himself, and the first guy I actually trusted enough to open my heart to lied to me.  I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fix the first two, but I can make the last one right.  I can give Oliver the chance to make what happened right.  I love him enough to do that.  But that’s all I can promise,” she admitted.

“That’s good enough for me,” Laurel answered.  “And I think that’s all Oliver could possibly expect from you.  Hopefully when he explains everything, you’ll be able to fully forgive him.”

“So what am I supposed to do?  Go to his house and tell him to explain?” Felicity asked.

“No,” Laurel said.  “No, it has to be better than that.  Bigger than that.  Alright, here’s what’s going to happen…”

* * *

When Oliver had thought of the plan to win over his parents, he didn’t anticipate it ending like this.  His parents were on his side, but he had lost Felicity, who had become much more to him than he could have ever imagined.  He would rather have none of the Queen money if it meant having Felicity back in his life.  Wait, did he mean that?  Yes, yes he actually did.  He would rather have a future with Felicity than a bunch of money.  At one point he could have had both, but then Felicity had overheard him and Tommy, and he couldn’t correct it in time for her not to leave.  Then she wouldn’t talk to him, which left him sitting on his couch, clicking through channels and drinking beer.

“Get up man.  This is beyond pathetic,” Tommy stated as he walked into the room.

“Nah, I’m good,” Oliver replied, taking another pull from his beer.

“It wasn’t a request.  Seriously, get up.  Laurel got us a reservation at that new bistro and if you don’t come, I’m disowning you as my best friend,” Tommy declared, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I’m not in the mood to go to dinner,” Oliver muttered, drinking even more of his beer.

“I really don’t care if you’re in the mood.  I’m serious.  Get up.  One night, and then I’ll let you go back to drowning in your misery,” Tommy promised, reaching down for the remote and turning off the TV.  “Let’s go.”

“Whatever.  Let me go change.  Pretty sure sweats don’t fit the dress code,” Oliver grumbled, leaving the living room and making his way up to his room to get changed.  Once he was ready, he returned to the first floor and left the house with Tommy.  Soon enough they arrived at the bistro, but it looked very empty.  “It looks like Laurel’s reservations were a bust.  This place is closed.”

“It’s not closed.  We reserved the whole restaurant,” Tommy told him, turning off and unlocking the car.

“Why the hell would you reserve the whole place?  It’s just the three of us,” Oliver pointed out, looking over at his best friend with furrowed brows.

“Actually, it’s just the two of you,” Tommy corrected.

“‘Two of _you_ ’?” Oliver asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Felicity’s in there.  Laurel and I set it up.  Make things right.  I want my best friend back.”

“Tommy…” Oliver muttered, then looked over to the restaurant.  Felicity was in there, waiting for him.  A sad smile brushed his lips before he turned back to Tommy.  “I owe you guys.  Thanks man.”

“Go get your woman back.  Now get out of my car so I can go pick up my woman for a date,” Tommy insisted.  Oliver chuckled and exited the car, watching Tommy drive away before facing the restaurant.

“You can do this, Queen.  Just tell her the truth,” he said to himself before walking inside.  The restaurant was mostly empty, but in the middle of the dining room sat Felicity, looking more beautiful than she had ever looked.  Her hair was down in soft waves, the candlelight glinting off of it in a way that had him nearly mesmerized.  The red dress reminded him of the red pen she was chewing on when he had gone down to her office that very first day, and it took his breath away.  His heart was pounding in his chest, but he somehow made his way to the table without completely losing his cool.  “Hey.”

She looked up at him and managed the smallest of smiles.  “Hey back.”

He pointed to the chair and asked, “Is this seat taken?”  It was the first thing he had said to her when they re-met each other, which she remembered, causing her smile to grow a bit more.

“There are plenty of open tables,” she replied, gesturing to the others to follow the script.

“Yes, but this one has the best view,” he finished, smiling down at her before sitting down.  “I’m surprised you let Laurel convince you to come tonight.”

“She told me that you had something to talk to me about and that I should give you the chance to say it,” she shrugged.  “What did you want to talk about?”

Oliver took a deep breath and hesitantly reached over to take her hand.  “I did start talking to you in the hopes that I’d find a way to keep my parents from cutting me off,” he started.  When she tried to take her hand away, he held it a bit tighter.  “Wait, wait.  That’s only how it started.  It’s true that I was afraid that my parents would cut me off.  It’s true that when we met, and I realized how much I messed up, I saw it as a chance to make amends.  It’s true that I saw my chance to make amends with you as a way to convince my parents that I was changing, even if I wasn’t.  But along the way, I _did_ change.  I started to grow up, not for myself and not because it would keep my parents from cutting me off, but because you deserved a better version of me.  I wanted to be someone that deserved to be around you, and I guess subconsciously deserved to be _with_ you,” he explained, lacing their fingers together.  “When I met you, I saw you as a means to an end, a way to get to the future I wanted.  Now you _are_ the future I want.  Felicity, I’m sorry for lying to you, and I’m sorry for not telling you the truth sooner, but I can’t live without you.  Do you think you can give me another chance?”

Felicity stood silently for a few moments, pinching her lips together.  “No, I don’t think I can give you another chance…”  His head fell at that.  “Because you don’t need a second one.”  And just like that, his head shot back up again.  “When we started our relationship, you were genuine.  I get that things started off on a slight lie, but the lie disappeared as you began to change.  I just wish you had told me the truth sooner.  The way I found out hurt a lot, and it made me question everything.  But at the end of the day, there was one thing I couldn’t question.”

“What’s that?” he asked.

A smile grew on her lips before she took a slow breath and exhaled, “I love you.  I’m _in_ love with you.  And as angry and upset and hurt as I was, it couldn’t change how I felt about you.  How I _feel_ about you.”

A relieved sigh escaped Oliver before he reached up and cupped her cheek.  “I love you too, Felicity.  More than I’ve ever loved someone.  I’m sorry for hurting you.  It was never my intention.”

“I know,” she nodded, placing her hand over his on his cheek.  “I missed you, Oliver.”

“I missed you too,” he muttered before leaning over the table and kissing her.  He didn’t let her go until breathing was necessary, but he remained close even longer before sitting back in his seat.  “So we’re okay now?  We can go back to being together and forget this ever happened?”

“I don’t think I can completely forget what happened, but I will move past it so we can be together again.  And I promise not to try to hold it over your head too often,” she told him, smiling playfully as he groaned.

“That’s a fair deal, and I’ll accept it,” he decided, leaning over to peck her lips once more.  “Now why don’t we have dinner since Tommy and Laurel went to all the trouble of reserving this place for us.”

“Yeah, we owe them big time, don’t we?”

“ _Oh_ yeah,” he nodded, squeezing her hand before calling over the waiter.  Finally everything was back to the way it should be, the way Oliver wanted it to be, and the way he would fight to keep it from changing.  It was time he started fighting for his future instead of waiting for it to come to him, because the fight made it all so much more worth it in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See? All better! :D I hope you liked it. Leave your thoughts in the reviews below. Thanks for reading!!


	7. The Epilogue - Five Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his sixth run-in with the cops within the months following his twenty-seventh birthday, playboy Oliver Queen's parents decide they have had enough. Their punishment is simple enough: grow up or get cut off. Oliver's certain his life is over, but when he meets Felicity Smoak, he sees an opportunity. Perhaps if he can manage to win her over, he can get his parents off his back and return to his life of philandering and frivolity.
> 
> * * *
> 
> Five years after their reconciliation, Oliver and Felicity's lives are completely different, but in the best possible ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, guys. The last chapter. You all have been so amazing at posting your thoughts, and I really appreciate the feedback. I do have one last request for you before you close this story, so check the note at the end to read it. Thanks so much for taking this journey with me and enjoy!

The house was silent.  Oliver and Felicity were sleeping soundly, but the one thing they had learned is that their version of soundly had changed drastically recently.  A cry sounded from the baby monitor beside their bed, and just like that, they were awake again.  


“Oliver,” Felicity grumbled, exhausted from the day before.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got her,” he replied, leaning down to kiss the side of her head.  Felicity grumbled and rolled over, curling up as her wedding ring glinted in the sliver of moonlight through their window.  Oliver smiled at the sight before climbing out of bed and making his way down the hall to the yellow painted room full of toys and stuffed animals.  If there was one thing Abigail Roberta Queen was, it was spoiled rotten, and as of a few hours ago, she had only just turned one.  To be fair, it wasn’t just her parents that spoiled her.  She had a whole gang of people that would do anything and everything to make her happy.  Her father was the worst of them, knowing he would sacrifice everything and anything for his daughter.  Walking into the bedroom, he saw Abby standing up in her crib, gripping the railing as tears dried on her adorably chubby cheeks.  “What’s the matter, birthday girl?” he asked, reaching down to pick her up and rubbing her back as she squirmed a bit.  He quickly smelled what had her crying and brought her over to the changing table.

Once Abby had a clean diaper, he cradled her in his arms and walked over to the rocking chair in her room.  He eased himself into the chair and held his daughter close, softly humming one of the handful of songs that seemed to soothe her the best.  It took about ten minutes, but soon enough, she was falling back to sleep, and he was able to lay her back in her crib before returning to his own bedroom and crawling back into bed with his wife.  He glanced over at the clock, groaning softly when he saw he only had a few more hours before he had to get up, then let himself drift off to sleep.

That morning, Oliver woke up to an empty bed, but then he heard Felicity’s melodious voice flowing through the baby monitor and happy noises coming from his baby girl.  A lot had changed in the five years since he met Felicity.  He still couldn’t believe that it had been only five years.  Time rushed past them at an almost alarming rate.  However, they had been through their fair share of trials and tribulations.  After nearly losing her, Oliver spent every day with Felicity proving that he was worthy of being with her.  He learned the family business as his father had demanded, but instead of taking over when Robert retired, Oliver was forced to pick up the mantle of QC CEO sooner than expected.  Only two years after Felicity and Oliver got together, Robert had been tragically killed in a plane crash, which had devastated the entire Queen family.  It was a dark time for Oliver, but Felicity got him through it, and when he resurfaced from the depths of his despair with her pulling him along, it didn’t take him very long before he proposed.  A woman that managed to save him from himself at the worst time of his life was the kind of woman he knew he needed beside him forever.

Their engagement had been short, Felicity and Moira working together, along with Felicity’s mother Donna, to throw together the perfect, intimate wedding that Felicity had only ever dreamed about.  The happy couple honeymooned on a private island owned by the Queen family, where most of their time was spent in their lavish bedroom enjoying having uninterrupted alone time.  It was during this uninterrupted alone time that Abby was conceived, and while they had not planned on having a child so soon after getting married, they took the news of their pregnancy surprisingly well.  Of course, during the pregnancy, Felicity had been a bit of a mess, the fear of being a bad mother weighing on her daily, but Oliver constantly reassured her that she would be great.  When their daughter was finally born on January 20, 2018, their entire worlds were changed.  From the moment they heard her birthing cry, they knew that everything they were and everything they would do would be for the benefit of that small bundle of joy.

After listening to his wife and daughter for a few more minutes, Oliver tossed the covers back and threw his legs over the edge of the bed, sitting up with a little more stiffness than he had five years ago.  His thirty-second birthday was fast approaching, but it didn’t terrify him like his birthdays used to.  When he lived that old life, the idea of aging and getting older and being expected to grow up was the worst concept in the world.  Now, he _was_ older and grown up.  He had a beautiful wife, a healthy daughter, and he was the CEO of a successful company.  It was the American dream, and he was grateful to call it his reality.

Standing from the bed, he made his way to Abby’s bedroom and smiled over at them sitting on her carpeted floor.  Abby noticed him first, letting out a happy squeal that had Felicity turning to look up at him.  “Morning handsome,” she greeted, lifting Abby up and walking towards him before kissing him sweetly.  “Thank you for taking care of her last night.  I promise I’ll take care of her if she wakes up tonight.”

“I don’t mind,” he assured, kissing Abby’s head as a hand brushed over Felicity’s.  “Besides, you have that meeting tomorrow and you can’t be yawning in the middle of explaining the redesign of the QC IT department, Madame CIO.”

She beamed at that, still getting used to the title.  It had been a joint decision by Oliver and Walter, Moira’s new husband and the CFO of Queen Consolidated, to appoint Felicity as Chief Information Officer when her predecessor retired.  It was a big responsibility, but she had slowly been climbing the ranks and despite the obvious personal connection that prompted the discussion, no one in the company doubted her ability in the position.  “No, I guess you’re right.”

“Of course I’m right.  I’m always right,” he pointed out, causing her to laugh as she handed Abby off and began walking towards the kitchen to make breakfast.

“Sure honey.  Whatever you say,” she replied sarcastically, smiling back at him when he chuckled as he followed.  “I’m thinking scrambled eggs this morning.  I could make you an omelette if you really want.”

“Scrambled eggs are fine,” he assured her, bringing Abby over to her high chair and then joining Felicity in the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee.  “Want me to make some toast?”

“Ooh yes please.  Carbs might be the enemy, but I’m going to need some to get through today,” she mused, pulling out the carton of eggs and beginning to crack some in a bowl.  “Your mother already called to remind us when to come over.  I adore Moira, but you’d think she’d have enough faith in us to be on time to our own daughter’s birthday party.”

Oliver laughed at that, shaking his head before leaning over and kissing her cheek.  “She just likes to think we still need to be bossed around.”

“I am thankful that she went to all of this effort.  I would have settled for a small get together here, but after our wedding, I’m pretty sure she had enough ‘quaint’ gatherings,” Felicity mused, using the word that Moira had used to describe Felicity and Oliver’s intimate union.  “She mentioned something about calling Taylor Swift to come sing the soundtrack to that new Disney movie that Abby manages to remain calm while watching.  You don’t think she was serious do you?”

“When it comes to my mother, I would expect the outrageous and brace yourself for anything,” Oliver warned her, grabbing the loaf of bread and beginning to make toast.

“I’m just glad Laurel and Tommy will be there.  I’ve missed them,” she admitted, placing a pan on the stove to heat up before she began whisking the eggs.

“I have too, but every time we get together with them, you and Laurel do… the thing,” Oliver muttered, his eyebrows scrunching together in annoyance.

“‘The thing’?” Felicity questioned, laughing softly.  “Oh come on, Oliver.  You know we’re joking.  Sure, it would be perfect if their son and our daughter ended up getting married, but they’re both babies.  We have a long way before we have to start worrying about any of that.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.  I’m not going to worry about it at all.  Abigail’s spending her life in a convent, far away from all guys,” he decided, taking some bread and putting it in the toaster as Felicity started frying the eggs.

“Uh huh.  Whatever you say, daddy,” she laughed.

They both fell silent as they cooked, but quickly stopped when Abby clearly shouted out, “Dada!”

Oliver nearly burned his hand on the toaster pulling out a piece of cooked toast, his head quickly turning to look at his daughter.  “Did you hear that?”

“That was ‘dada’,” Felicity nodded, her hands still as the eggs began burning before quickly removing them from the flame and turning the stove off.  “She just said her first word!  Oh my god!”

With a cheer, Oliver rushed over to his daughter and tickled her tummy.  “Say that again, baby.  Who am I?”

“Yes, who is he?” Felicity asked Abby, hovering quite close herself.

Abby looked between them before patting Oliver’s chest and blurting out, “Dada!”

The two parents hollered with excitement before Oliver swept Abby up and out of her chair to blow a raspberry into her belly.  “Yes baby girl, I’m your dada,” he nodded, happy tears welling in his eyes.  “I can’t believe her first word was ‘dada’,” he muttered, shaking his head as he held her.

He looked down at Felicity who was holding back tears herself, and the family moved close together in a hug.  Oliver and Felicity had a lifetime of these milestones to look forward, and he had a feeling that each one would feel as wonderful as hearing Abby say her first word.  When Abby called out her new word again, they finally pulled away and went back to cooking, then enjoyed their breakfast together with a new brightness to their morning.

* * *

“Moira, you truly outdid yourself,” Felicity praised as they stood on the outskirts of the party, watching as Oliver tossed Abby into the air, causing her to squeal in delight.  A bunch of Oliver and Felicity’s friends, with their kids, as well as a few members of QC and other high society people in Starling mingled around the party, as if they all actually fit together normally.  Felicity’s hand raised to wave at John Diggle and Lyla Michaels, who waved back as they watched their young daughter Sara eat a piece of the birthday cake.  “This party is… spectacular.  And that performance by Taylor Swift was incredibly entertaining.  I don’t know how you pulled it all off, but thank you.  Abby might not actually remember this party since she’s so young, but between the videographer and photographer circling the party, she’ll have some special moments to look back on when she’s old enough.”

“You can only have one first birthday, and I just wanted to make sure my granddaughter’s was memorable,” the older woman replied, then paused before smiling over at Felicity.  “Thank you, Felicity.”

“What are you thanking me for?  You did all the work,” she pointed out, shaking her head in confusion.

“No, thank you for giving me a grandchild,” Moira started, turning to fully face her.  “I’ll admit, I had my reservations when I first met you, and I thought it was for the best when things had ended between you and Oliver so many years ago, but I was wrong.  You are probably the best thing that has happened to Oliver.  You gave him purpose, which was something I could never seem to do as his mother.”

“You raised a great man, Moira,” Felicity assured her, reaching over and taking her hand.  “He just needed someone to remind him of everything you had already taught him.  I’m not sure if that was just me, or if he figured it out himself, but I think I can say for the both of us that it’s a good thing that he did.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Moira agreed, smiling kindly at her.  “We should get a family photo with you, Oliver, and Abigail.  And one with all of the Queens, if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind one bit,” Felicity replied, following her to gather the other members of the family.  Once everyone was together, they situated themselves in front of the fireplace.  “Alright, everyone say cheese,” she called out, and they all smiled as the photographer captured the shot.

“Oliver, don’t put bunny ears on my niece, you dork,” Thea scolded, smacking at his hand.  “One more!”  They all smiled again, this time the picture being completely perfect.

“Now just you three,” Moira insisted, pulling Walter away as Thea went off to find her boyfriend.  The small family stood together, genuinely happy smiles spreading on their lips as the photographer flashed the camera.  “Perfect,” she muttered, leaning against her husband as she watched her son look down at his wife with pure adoration.  “It’s perfect.”

* * *

“I didn’t think it could be possible to be so exhausted from a one-year-old’s birthday party,” Felicity whispered as she sat on the couch, a sleeping baby on her chest.  “Seriously, I’m pretty sure Abby’s party was more draining than our own wedding reception.”

“Hey, our wedding reception was awesome.  Especially our first dance,” Oliver pointed out, cleaning up the kitchen and preparing some items for Abby’s time at daycare the next day.  “And as I recall, you fell asleep on the way to the airport after our reception, you were so tired.”

“That was of all of the wine I drank to keep my nerves at bay.  There were some of the most important people in Starling at the reception, and you know how my mouth goes off when I get nervous,” she pointed out, rubbing Abby’s back absently.

“Yes, I remember,” he replied, finishing his work and walking over to sit right beside Felicity on the couch.  His arm wrapped around her, pulling her in close and brushing his fingers along her arm soothingly.

“You know, you don’t have to sit right next to me.  There are more seats on this couch,” she pointed out, looking up at him as their daughter shifted and sighed in her sleep.

Oliver simply smiled, his hand brushing over Abby’s head soothingly before pecking Felicity’s lips.  “You’re right…  But this one has the best view.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. My last request for you guys is that if you want to read an event or moment between Oliver and Felicity, or any other characters really, in this particular story canon, post them in the reviews, or send me a message. I know that there's obviously a lot that I left out and this story could definitely be built upon, and I love writing one-shots, so there's a huge opportunity for more. I just want to know what you guys want to see. Thanks again for reading! As always, you can find me on tumblr as nellyharrison. Bye!

**Author's Note:**

> Sooooo what did you think? Leave a review below, and if you guys really like it, I might post the next chapter sooner than I have planned. Thanks for reading!


End file.
